Electric conductor



T. E. MURRAY May 3, 1932.

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet File x Fab.

y 1932- T. E. MURRAY ,856,109

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR Filed Feb. 6, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwvemto'c meted- May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS MURRAY, imooxLYN, NEW YORK; JOSEPH BRADLEY MURRAY, THOMAS E. MURRAY, .13., AND JOHN F. MURRAY, EXECUTORS OF sAIn THOMAS E. MURRAY, DECEASED, ASSIGNOBS T0 METROPOLITAN DEVICE CORPORATION, A conPonA- ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR Application filed Februaly, 6, 1924. Serial No. 690,893.

Electric conductors in the form of cables, single wires or rods are commonly wrapped with an insulating covering and, for additional protection, carried in iron pipes. 55 j The construction now generally used is extremely expensive. I propose to provide a stylev of,conductors which is comparatively simple, which is safe, and which at the same time ismuch more economical.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of my invention.

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a perspective view and a cross-section of a double cable or a two-wire arrangement;

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a longitudinal and a cross-section of a four-cable arrangement;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a shghtly difierent four-cable arrangement; Figs. 6 and 7 are cross-sections of alterna tive arrangements;

'Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a longitudinal and a cross-section of another style Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively a longitudinal and a cross-section of a conductor made of flat bars instead of cables;

Fig. 12 is a cross-section of a modification using four such fiat conductors;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a design using two flat conductors;

Fig. 14 is a cross-section of an alternative design.

The conductors, which may be bare cables, are carried in a shell of concrete, paper or other nonconducting material and are supported and heldproperly spaced from one another by insulators fastened to the conductors at intervals and free to move with,

simple matter to break through the casing and repair the cable and also the shell.

Figs. 1 and 2 show an arrangement for the cables 5 and 6 of the two-wire system.

The cables are supported at intervals by porcelain or other insulating blocks 7 having grooves 8 on their outer faces to hold the cables. Knobs 9 are provided on the ends of the insulating spacers with grooves around them so that the spacers and the cables may be'fastened together at proper intervals by ties 10 also of insulating material. A shell 11 of cast concrete or other comparatively cheap insulating material encloses the cables and their spacers, the latter fitting freely within the shell and resting thereon so as to hold the cables out of contact with the shell.

According to Figs. 3 and 4, spacers are used consisting of flexible fabric binders 12 which are wrapped about the opposite cables as shown. Where four cables are used one binder is used for the opposite cables 13 and 14 (Fig. 4), and another, at the next interval, for the alternative pair of cables 15 and 16. To prevent contact with the outer shell the cables may be supported at intervals by rings of porcelain, or by spacers like 8 in Fig. 2, which fit within the shell. The intermediate spacers 12 serve chiefly to prevent the cables from contacting with each other.

Fig. 5 shows four cables which are held at intervals by. flat spacers 17 with grooves on their faces and withholes through which pass ties 18 of insulating material which fasten the cables in they grooves and hold the spacers at determined points in the len th of the cables. The alternate spacers f7 may be placed at right angles to each other as indicated so that one rests on the bottom of the tube 11 and the other bears against the sides of Fig. 1, but used with four cables 13, 14, 15 and 16 which are tied in their grooves and attached to the spacer by a single tie 24.

According to Figs. 8 and 9 plates 27 of porcelain are used as spacers having apertures and slots to receive ties 28 by which they are fastened to the cables. With four cables as shown, the alternate blocks 27 are at right angles to each other.

It will be understood that where a plurality of cables are illustrated, these may be all parts of one conductor in efi'ect; that is all carryin a plus current or all a minus current. r some of them may be plus and others minus.

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate the use, of a pair of conductors 30 and 31 each in the shape of a laminated bar. They are spaced apart by plates 32 of insulating fabric, each being attached to one of such plates as by a screw or rivet 33; and the two platesbeing fastened together at intervals by riveted washers 34. To guard against contact with the sides of the shell 11', blocks 35 which may also be of insulating fabric, are mounted at intervals on the outer sides of the conductors and fastened arranged .to ether as by means of rivets 36.

ig. 12. illustrates another arrangement using four laminated conductors 37, 38, 39 and 40. They are grouped together around an insulating spacer 41 with four angular grooves receiving the conductors and with a knob 42 on the end by which it is fastened to the conductors and the latter are held in, through ties 43. Such a tie is shown for the opposite conductors 37 and 38 in the figure. Where the conductors engage the next insulator in line, the other two conductors 39 and 40 will be tied to it.

In Fig. 13, the two laminated conductors 44 and 45 are held at intervals between a central flat insulating plate 46 and upper and lower plates 47 which may be attached in any one of various ways.

pensive material, is the insulators or spacers of porcelain or of equivalent material.

The intervals between the insulatin spacers will depend on the flexibility of t ductor, the more flexible conductor requiring Though I have described with great particularity of detail certain specific embodiments of my invention": yet it is not to be understood therefrom that the invention is restricted to the particular embodiments disclosed. Various modifications thereof in detail and in the arran ement of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the invention as defined in,

the following claim.

What I claim is A device for holding electric cables which comprises an insulating spacer block having opposed longitudinal grooves for said cables, wings projecting radially from said block between said grooves and longitudinally projecting posts at the ends of said block, and

means for securing said cables to said posts. In wltness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

THOMAS E. MURRAY.

According to Fig. 14, the two laminated conductors 30 and 31 are spaced apart at intervals by a single plate 48 of insulating fiber and are clamped to this plate by channel shaped pieces 49 also of insulating fiber fastened together by rivets 50 passing clear through rom one side to the other.

Any number of branch outlets may be provided and they may be either at right angles to the line or oblique thereto. The invention may be applied to any desired length of an electric line or to any parts thereof. For example, the straight lengths may be made in accordance with this invention and the curved portions made in some other usual or suitable way. Or the curved portions may be made b properly bending the parts herein illustrated The invention effects a considerable economy in that the only material of high insulating efliciency used, and therefore the only ex- 

